7teen: Nuclear Seasons
by Jupiter Queen
Summary: Ep. 14: Right before their six-month anniversary, Jonesy and Nikki explode on each other, leaving the gang to deal with the devastation.
1. Chapter 1

_**Warning**__: Profanity, sexual content, and drug references._

_**Note**__: References the episodes "Clonesy," "The List," and "Unhappy Anniversary." Also briefly references my one-shot "Grins," but you don't need to read it in order to understand this._

_**A/N**__: For all those who keep up with my humble little story series, there are only six stories left in season one!  
_

_I'm so happy to share this story. I've been wanting to do something heavier regarding Jonesy and Nikki's relationship for a while now, so this is the product of that. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 1: Blown Away

Nikki walked hand-in-hand through the mall alongside Jonesy. Their friends walked with them, all seven of them coming back from having lunch as a group.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a couple attractive girls headed in the opposite direction. Like clockwork, she slit her eyes at her boyfriend, watching him as he watched the girls. She saw his gaze migrate from face to waist to ass as they passed by.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

He turned his head slightly in Nikki's direction, making sure that he didn't get caught with a sheepish look. She met his dumbass expression with side-eye prepared.

"If you're gonna ogle other girls, at least have the decency to do it when I'm not around."

"Relax, babe. I was just looking. Don't be so insecure," he said, all nonchalant. It rolled off his tongue with ease, as if he'd been thinking it for a while now.

Her eyebrows shot up in fury, then lowered as her anger simmered.

"Oh, no," she heard Wyatt murmur as soon as Jonesy spoke from his ass.

"'Oh, no' is right," she said, snatching her hand from Jonesy's. She turned around to face him, halting him and their friends in their tracks. "I'm 'insecure' because I don't want you looking at other girls in front of me? Are you _really_ that dense?" Before he could open his mouth to fight, she said, "Wait, don't answer that—I _know_ you are."

His brow furrowed, hanging heavy. "Like I _told_ you, I was just _looking_."

She scoffed. "You know what, Jonesy? It's always more than just _looking_ with you. For years, I've watched you look at other girls and just plot on them,—and that was way before we were even a thing—so don't act like I can't be angry that you still do that while we're together."

"Okay, maybe _before_ we were a thing, I looked at girls some kind of way, but that doesn't mean when I look at them _now_ I want something with them. I only want _you_."

"Well, your actions speak louder than whatever bullshit you're feeding me now. You always makes me feel like you're trying to find some… some _side piece_ to be with. I mean, how hard is it to cut it out? Are you gonna die if you don't grope a girl with your eyes once a day?"

"Oh, so _I_ can't look at girls, but _you_ can like guys _and_ girls?!"

"You've been looking at girls since _before_ I came out. Me being bi has nothing to do with your wandering eye!"

"Hey, that rhymed," Jude noted, hoping to diffuse the tension.

"_Shut up, Jude_," the couple chorused, making him flinch.

Jonesy continued, "Hey, if _you're_ allowed to be paranoid about me cheating on you for looking at other chicks, then _I'm_ allowed to be mad about you being able to cheat on me with _anybody_."

"You're still hung up on me leaving you for another girl, huh? After I promised you that I _wouldn't_? My word means _that_ little to you?"

"If mine means jack shit to you, then I guess yours means jack shit to me. Besides, you've ditched me for two girls before, Nik." He held up two fingers and stuck them in her face. "_Two_."

She swatted at his hand. "And I _told_ you it wouldn't happen again."

"Well, I don't believe that."

"So, what do you want me to do? Cut every girl out my life? Want me to just push Caitlin, Jen, and Sydni away? Or, better yet, push away the rest of the gang and make you the only fixture in my life? Is that gonna please you?"

"I never said I wanted you to cut off _anyone_!" With balled fists and eyes shut tightly, he exclaimed, "God, Nikki, why do you have to be such a _bit_—"

The word died in his throat before he could utter it. He gaped at her. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed the insult.

She crossed her arms, glaring at him through weary eyes. Sadness began to pool within her, but, with a shuddery breath, she kept it at bay.

"Go ahead, Jonesy. Call me a bitch," she dared, keeping her voice from wavering as tears pricked at her eyes like needles. She gulped, aware of how the group deadened around them, watching the two of them implode. "It's not like I haven't heard it before."

He opened his mouth, wanting to respond, but all that came out was silence. He closed it and opened it again, this time mumbling something along the lines of _forget it_ as he turned his back and walked away from them.

She stood there and watched him leave. The moment stayed with her.

From her peripheral vision, she saw her friends swivel their heads and stare at each other in awe of what transpired. They all looked like a bomb had detonated.

They were right.

It amused Nikki that Jen approached her first, giving Jen's proximity to the victims of the blow.

"Nikki," she said, her borderline-violet eyes scanning Nikki's face with sympathy and caution. She hesitated before asking, "Are you okay?"

With a wry chuckle filled with everything but humor, she replied, "Never been better." Her lips quickly drooped and tears threatened to blur her vision. "I… I gotta go."

Before anyone could convince her to stay, she wandered away in search of the Khaki Barn. Despite it being her day off, she marched in and maintained composure while telling the Clones that she needed to be alone in the backroom. For almost an hour, she curled into a ball on the tattered couch and sobbed until her tear ducts ran dry.

* * *

Nikki remembered one of the reasons why she hated crying: it left her forehead throbbing, as if it was asking her, "_Bitch, why are you like this?"_

Couldn't her sadness manifest itself in a way that didn't make her angrier for being sad in the first place?

She gently patted her eyes, being careful not to smudge her makeup in the process. Perhaps she owed Caitlin for suggesting waterproof mascara in the event of unexpected crying (even if Caitlin wasn't adept at taking her own advice).

She sniffled and clutched her pounding head. Each pound served as a reminder for her to get her shit together—or, at the very least, take some ibuprofen.

Just when she thought her head couldn't feel worse, she heard a nasal voice drone, "Nikki, are you, like, still back here?"

She rolled her reddened eyes. "I dunno, Kristen. Did you, like, see me leave?"

"I was just asking a question. You don't have to get all snippy," she said as she and Kirsten made their way into the backroom.

As the two approached her, Nikki tried to rid herself of lingering upset.

Kirsten's eyes went wide and her mouth fell agape. After briefly covering her mouth, she asked, "OMG, were you crying?"

_So much for trying_.

"No." She huffed. "You know, you two _really_ don't need to pretend like you care."

"Hmm…" Kristen put a hand on her chin and pursed her lips while scanning Nikki up and down. (Nikki wondered if being lost in thought like this would kill any of the girl's brain cells.) "You were _totally_ crying about a boy."

(Nothing died at all, except for Nikki on the inside.)

"Ooh! Ooh!" Kirsten shouted as she had an epiphany. "You were crying about _Jonesy_, weren't you? You look like things were left _completely_ in the air."

Nikki's jaw dropped in shock. _What kind of ditzy-ass psychics?!_

She didn't know they possessed the brain power to deduce that much. "How did you know? I could've been crying about _anything_."

"We know a broken heart when we see one," Kristen said as her best friend (and perhaps _twin_—Nikki remained unsure) nodded.

"Oh," she said, not knowing how to proceed. "Well, go ahead and laugh it up. I know that's what you're here for, anyways."

Kirsten toyed with her blonde ponytail. "Well, we _were_ gonna try and catch you being all weird so we can put it on Twitter, but we don't wanna do it now that we know you're all emotional and stuff."

"We don't?" Kristen whispered to her maybe-twin.

"No," Kirsten mouthed to her, shaking her head. She turned her attention to Nikki and gave her a wide grin. "It's kinda funny: I actually like you more now that I know you _have_ emotions!"

"Kirsten, that's _so_ rude! She totally _does_ have emotions: bitchy, angry, happy, and hungry. _Duh_," she said as she counted the feelings on her fingers.

"Ooh, don't forget _hangry_!"

"OMG, how'd I forget?"

Nikki snarled at them and their giddiness (while also remembering how Jonesy nearly called her a bitch, too). "Um, I'm _right here_."

Both of them winced and gave her sheepish smiles, appearing genuinely apologetic.

"Sorry, Nikki," Kristen said. "We've just never really been on good terms before."

"Yeah, we're not really used to being all friendly with you," Kirsten added.

"It's fine." Nikki's features softened. The tension she didn't even realize she carried in her shoulders went away. With a weak smile, she admitted, "Now that I think about it, I don't exactly give you two the easiest time either." She averted her eyes to the scuffed-up hardwood floor, becoming silent and pensive as she thought about Jonesy again. She gulped down another wave of melancholy. When she looked up, she met Kristen's concerned gaze.

"I hope things get better with you and your boyfriend, Nikki."

"Yeah, I hope you two are able to make up and stuff," Kirsten added.

Nikki smiled, feeling a small swell of warmth in her chest. The Clones may have lacked individualism, but they did share a heart. "Thanks. I hope so, too."

* * *

The gang, minus the couple of the hour, sat in silence at their food-court table. Tension saturated the air, making it thick and unbearable like the humidity of summer's worst days.

Jen facepalmed herself, unable to withstand the quiet any longer. "God, this is what I've _always_ worried about if they got together. I _knew_ their personalities would clash in this big, messy way and that we'd _all_ get sucked into this. Now I feel like I have to help clean this mess up."

"Why though?" Jude asked.

She removed her hand from her face, instead throwing her arms out. "Because _I_ have to live under the same roof as him, _she's_ inevitably gonna be over the house to hang out with me, _they're_ gonna run into each other, and things are going to get _really_ awkward if they're not over this."

"Okay, no offense, but you've got to let them handle this themselves," Wyatt said. "I know things got really ugly, but I think they're capable of talking it out. But if things don't look like any better in a couple days, _then_ maybe we should get involved."

She felt silly for not coming up with the better approach first. "Yeah, you're right."

"I hope they're able to straighten stuff out," Jude said.

Sydni frowned. "Sounds like they've got a lot of straightening to do. There was a _lot_ that came out during that fight."

Caitlin sighed, taking on their heartbreak as if it were her own. Even though she and Jen convinced themselves almost a year ago that Jonesy and Nikki's relationship would ruin the gang, she grew to adore the sight of their friends in love. She didn't want to see what they had come to an end. "They've _got_ to stay together, you guys. They've literally come so far. Nikki told me that their _six-month_ _anniversary_ is this weekend."

"_Whoaaaa_," Jude said with widened eyes, looking at his equally stunned friends. "It's really been that long?"

"I guess it has," Wyatt replied.

"Wow," Sydni said. "Now I _definitely_ hope they work things out."

Jen frowned. "You and me both."

"I think I should go check up on Jonesy and see how he's holding up," Wyatt said, standing up from his seat.

Jude said, "I'll go with ya," and followed suit.

On that note, the boys vacated to find their friend at his job of the day. The girls remained seated, pondering their next move.

"So," Sydni said in a small voice, "should we go check on Nikki?"

"Definitely," Caitlin said.

"Actually," Jen interjected, "I think we should give her some space. She seemed like she wanted to be alone and, to be honest, I don't blame her."

"Okay," Sydni said. Given that Jen and Nikki had known each other since they were five, she trusted Jen's reasoning. She just hoped that, wherever Nikki was, she was alright.

* * *

Jonesy scowled while sorting through donations at his thrift-shop job. He worked with his body on autopilot and his mind in misery as he inspected the clothes for any wear and tear. He tossed all the good items into one pile and the bad ones into another, trying to toss away his feelings for Nikki (to no avail).

How could she not believe in his word? He tried and tried to convince her over and over again that, while he found other girls attractive, his heart was hers. He felt like a broken-ass record. Telling her time and time again that she was his girl. His _only_ girl. He loved her (and still did). No other girl mattered like she did (and ever would). Yet those affirmations weren't good enough for her.

What more could he do? What more could he _do_?

He gripped the wrinkled and stained t-shirt in his hands until his knuckles turned white, then balled it up and threw it haphazardly into the pile of bad clothes.

He loved it when she drove him crazy, but hated it when she drove him insane.

It ignited him that she could be into whomever she wanted to be, but he couldn't look at whomever. He accepted that she was bisexual, but he wouldn't accept a blatant double standard, especially when she forgot about his existence when both Jean _and_ Tristan came into the picture. If anything, he should have been concerned that _she_ would be the one to cheat on _him_.

He groaned as he pulled a pair of acid-wash jeans from a bag of donations.

_This is some bullshit._

"Dude, you okay?" he heard from behind him.

He turned around to find Jude and Wyatt standing there.

Jonesy furrowed his brow and tossed the jeans in his hand with the good clothes. "Fan-freaking-tastic. Never been better."

"Jonesy, be real," Wyatt said. "We know you've got to be upset about everything."

"You know what?" he asked, stumbling upon an epiphany. "It doesn't matter what I'm feeling now. I'm gonna be _fine_. I'm gonna let her take as long as she needs to get herself together, then I'll hear her out when she reaches out to _me_." He smirked. "Until then, I'm gonna be chillin' and chasin' cheddar."

"So, you _aren't_ sad in the slightest about how things happened?"

"Nope," he said, popping the _p_ and looking his friend dead in the eyes. "Listen, mi amigos: I said what had to be said. She's always nagging me and calling me out on some bullshit, so I think it's best if me and her keep our distance or whatever."

Wyatt knitted his brow. "You know, Nikki might be a little brash sometimes, but she has a point, Jonesy. You have a habit of looking at girls in a way that would make _any_ girlfriend feel slighted. It's like you don't even want to let go of being a player."

Jonesy could have breathed fire. "Of _course_ you'd take _her_ side!"

"Well, he's kinda got a point."

Jonesy's anger crumbled; he looked at Jude with disappointment. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice less pointed.

Jude scratched the back of his neck, dodging eye contact and shifting his stance. "Well, you _do_ look at other girls a lot, man. And Nikki's pretty good to ya, so I know it's gotta sting for her to see ya still do that." He gained the courage to meet Jonesy's stare. "And it's not like you have to _completely_ give up on looking at girls, man. You just gotta watch the way ya do it. I might look at a chick every now and then 'cause girls are always gonna be smokin' hot, but I don't do it in front of Starr 'cause she's my special lil lady and I _want_ her to feel special, y'know?"

Jonesy's shoulders slumped as he internalized his best friend's words. Nikki _was_ special to him (and would remain that way). He never did it to hurt her.

"Yeah, I see what you mean… Shit, I'm sorry for snapping on you guys like that," he said, mainly looking at Wyatt with remorse.

"It's okay, dude," Jude said with a soft smile.

"I forgive you," Wyatt said, causing Jonesy to feel relief. "You tend to lash out whenever you're going through something."

Damn, now he felt targeted. He hated that Wyatt knew to look beyond the façade he hid behind. "You psychic or something, bro?"

Wyatt grinned. "Nope. I just know you."

"Well, stop knowing me so damn well. It's freaking me out."

"I'll try, Jonesy. I'll try."

* * *

Jonesy revelled in having Nikki in his lap; she fit within it so well. He'd oftentimes wonder if she was meant to be there all along. (His carnal side would reply, "Hell yeah—and I can think of some places _I'd_ like to fit into." However, his romantic side would say, "No matter what position she's in, that's still my babe.")

As they made out in the beanbag in the corner of his room, Tame Impala's latest song mixed with the sounds of their mouths mingling. They were all lips and tongue, with the slightest hint of teeth—just how he loved it. The best makeout sessions featured kisses that went from languid and calm to frenetic and reckless, as well as bodies that went from neat and clothed to disheveled and topless. This combined the best of both. Her hand snaked through his hair while his own rubbed on her rear. He felt blood pool inside of him when she moaned into his mouth. (For someone afraid of seeing blood, he surely didn't mind feeling it rush.)

Alas, just as quickly as the vision hit him when he stepped into his bedroom, it disappeared. Jonesy looked at the empty bean bag in disappointment, realizing Nikki wasn't there. He wasn't sure if she would ever return. As he closed his bedroom door and went to sit on the edge of his bed, the thought of being without his babe made him sulk.

He grabbed the remote sitting on top of his tousled comforter and turned on the television. However, he soon zoned out.

"Alright, so how do I play this stupid game?" he could hear Nikki say in an apathetic tone as he pictured the two of them sitting on his carpet in front of the TV.

"It's not stupid. It's _Fortwatch_," he'd corrected.

She blinked once. "All I heard was the same word twice."

He rolled his eyes. He'd whined to her a week ago about wanting to teach her how to play his new copy of the game (making sure he hid it from his conniving-ass brothers this time around), so she gave in to make him hush.

"Anyways, how do I play this shit?" she asked, lifting the wireless game controller as she spoke.

He leaned into her space, pointing at each of the core buttons while explaining their functions. "Okay, this is for jumping, this is for switching weapons, you move the joystick to walk around, and then you hit these two at the same time to book it. Got it?"

She gave him a look of certainty. "Yep."

"Good," he said with a smirk.

In all honesty, even though he'd been begging her to play the game with him, he didn't expect her to get so into it. He anticipated snide comments and cold passiveness, but instead received competitive remarks and fiery enthusiasm.

"Oh, I'm _so_ gonna kick your ass this round," she said, hoping she'd be the last player standing in their battle-mode round.

He glanced over at her, seeing a smirk engross her lips and a determination fill her eyes as she looked onward. It excited him whenever she unearthed her cocky side.

However, he loved to talk cocky shit right back to her. "_Yeah right_—there's a better chance of Jude giving up weed than you beating me."

"If you say so."

He threw their game on pause, drawing her undivided attention. "How about we put a price on this?" he asked, mischief pervading his tone.

"Go on."

"If I win, you're massaging my feet," he stated, crossing his arms and grinning with smugness.

She remained silent for a moment, pondering his bet. "So, since I _definitely_ have to win to avoid doing _that_ shit—if I win, we're watching a marathon of my fave travel shows tonight."

Looking at her through half-lidded eyes, he reluctantly said, "Deal."

(Though he didn't hate her shows, he liked the prospect of a massage _way_ better.)

She smirked, turning her attention forward and unpausing the game.

Given her level of determination that rivaled _Jen's_ whenever challenged, Nikki won. However, he didn't feel like a loser as he sat through her travel shows. He heard her commentary on why she wanted to visit certain countries so badly. He witnessed liveliness dance in her brown eyes as she spoke. He saw anticipation curl her lips because one day—_one day_—she would be where she envisioned herself.

Even now, he smiled with bittersweetness, knowing that—with or without him—she would arrive at her many destinations.

His head hung low. He didn't know whether he'd fit into the bigger picture she had for her life or not. Everything about them remained suspended in the air right now: their friendship, their relationship, their _everything_.

He sunk his palms into his bed, recalling it as the spot where they first confessed to loving each other. He hated getting sentimental like this, but his memory would forever burn with the moment. He recalled being filled with anxiety when thinking of how to tell her. Then he rode on nothing but pure adrenaline and giddiness when she said it first, overwhelmingly relieved to hear the three words fall from her lips instead.

Then, Wyatt and Jude's words came back to haunt him. He never intended to make Nikki feel insignificant by looking at other girls. He only wanted to be with her. All of their moments—from kissing in the dark to having late-night pillow fights to making each other's blood rush to play-wrestling around his room—meant too much for him to render her ordinary.

He'd known her through so many phases that he didn't know if he could stop loving her. She was a constant force in his life. He saw her damn near everyday, texting her and feeling her just as often. She was fiery, and so was this thing they had; thinking about either of those things running cold made his throat constrict.

He rose to his feet, strolling to his dresser. After opening the top drawer, he retrieved a dainty, black-velvet box. He pried it open, inspecting the ring it contained. It had a silver band that slithered into an infinity symbol. He saved a few paychecks for it.

Since he kept track of how long they'd been together (after Giving-Wyatt-the-List-gate), he wanted to give her the ring on their sixth-month anniversary. After a particular night in her room, wherein they chatted about him possibly "wifing her up," he wanted to get her an anniversary gift that both suited her style and reflected how much she meant to him.

The saleswoman had gushed about promise rings returning to the mainstream, but he insisted that it was _not_ such a ring because he considered them to be "really cheesy." He couldn't stop blushing while saying it though, leaving both of them unconvinced.

For one night, he wanted to treat Nikki to dinner and look fly with her. He envisioned giving her the ring and pretending not to make a spectacle about it because he didn't want to feel lame. Making _her_ feel like a big deal was his endgame.

Now, he remained unsure if those plans would ever come to fruition.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Fallout

As soon as Jen greeted Caitlin at the Big Squeeze and took her seat at the gang's table, her phone pinged with a text from Jude. He sent a message in the group's new group chat, sans Jonesy and Nikki. They decided to leave the original group chat in its dead state until the couple reached a resolution. In the meantime, the other five created a temporary one.

_**sad times, dude  
**__Jude: is it safe to come to the lemon yet?_

Seeing that she and Caitlin were the only ones there thus far, she replied, _Yeah, it's safe_.

_**sad times, dude  
**__Jude: cool, omw now_

She didn't see the point in him asking if Jonesy or Nikki were there, even though she understood _why_ he asked. Jude, being the mellow person he was, disliked tension, especially when it involved his best friend. (Years ago, she'd asked Jude why he didn't like drama; he'd replied that he didn't like "negative vibes all up in [his] soul.")

It didn't help that she learned from him and Wyatt about Jonesy's volatile behavior yesterday; it gave Jude an extra reason to dodge the couple until matters were resolved. However, she knew matters would remain tense regardless. After all, Jonesy and Nikki's fallout had already hit the rest of the group, causing them all to dance around the couple and bite their tongues.

She loved Jonesy and Nikki—both as individuals and as an item—but she _knew_ they wouldn't be blissful for long, especially when they had switchblades for tongues. (However, just because she prioritized her desire to be right all the time, that didn't mean she didn't long to see them happy again.)

Her phone pinged twice more.

_**sad times, dude  
**__Wyatt: headed there too. on my break now._

_**sad times, dude  
**__Sydni: Same. See y'all in a few._

She and Caitlin waited for them to come. Upon their arrival, they all took their usual spots without words.

"So…" Jude said, drawing attention to the awkward quietness instead of breaking it.

"So…" Caitlin parroted, unsure of how to proceed.

Jen decided to start the discussion. "So, I guess we're _all_ ignoring the blue and purple elephant in the room today."

("I wish elephants were really that color," Jude mumbled.)

Sydni interjected, "I really don't know what to say other than, 'I hope they fix things.' I feel like it isn't my place to speak on it that much, y'know?"

_Fair enough_, she thought. Sydni had only been around the gang for under two months. No matter how much information they brought her up to speed on, she had plenty to observe and learn about the group dynamics. "That's true. But, still, isn't there _some_ way to help them fix this faster?" she asked as she looked at everyone.

"Well, per usual, Jonesy's completely delusional," Wyatt said. "He said he's waiting for _her_ to talk to _him_ first, so, unless we can convince Nikki to do that, I don't think we can fix anything."

_Why is my brother so __dense__?_ she asked herself before saying, "_Ugh_."

"Did Nikki ever tell you guys how she's feeling?" Jude asked, reminding her of the girls' efforts to text Nikki and gauge her emotions last night.

"We all texted her separately, and we all got the same response: '_I'm fine_,'" she said, putting air quotes around that last phrase.

It hurt her that Nikki blatantly lied about her feelings. Though Nikki pushed this "fine" front and assured Jen that she only needed space and time, she knew Nikki better than that. She knew that, yes, Nikki played the "tough girl" role well, but she couldn't play it all the time. She wanted Nikki to know that she would be here for her whenever Nikki _couldn't_ assume the role.

"I don't know why she'd lie about it," Caitlin said, using her uncanny ability to read Jen's mind. "She _loves_ Jonesy. If _I_ was so down in the dumps about Benj and I didn't even, like, _love_ him, then I know she's got to be hurting."

"Exactly!" Jen exclaimed.

"Exactly what?" a new voice asked.

She looked across the table to find Nikki approaching and taking her usual seat.

"OMG, Nikki! How are you?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah, how ya doing, bra? We were just talkin' 'bout— _Ouch!_ Dudes, that hurt!" Jude exclaimed after having been kicked by Jen and Wyatt. He resembled a wounded puppy when he looked at both of them.

Nikki rested her forearms on the tabletop and chuckled. "Jude still can't keep a secret for shit, and I know you guys were talking about me, but what's new? Like I told the girls last night,"—she knowingly smirked—"I'm _fine_. All I really need is time and space."

And so the "fine" front continued. Jen sighed. "Whatever you say."

Nikki raised an eyebrow at her.

Per usual, she remained combative about her deeper emotions. Jen decided to let it go, knowing that _something_ would test Nikki's hold on remaining stoic.

However, she didn't expect Jonesy to show up minutes later. Everyone's eyes went wide. As Jonesy deliberately sat between Jen and Sydni, everyone except for him resembled deer in headlights. They remained suspended in unbearable silence upon his arrival.

Jude stared off into the distance, likely using escapism to leave the table. Caitlin cleaned the Lemon's counters, discovering refuge in actually doing her job. Wyatt grabbed his songbook from his satchel, finding comfort in reviewing his material. Sydni turned to her phone, seeking social media as her outlet.

After Jen went through her own phone and checked her to-do lists for the week, she glanced at best friend. Nikki didn't seem so confident in her ability to remain "fine." She appeared anxious as she kept her mouth shut and averted her eyes away from her boyfriend. He appeared uncomfortable too, leaving Jen to wonder why he would even show _up_. However, she figured his pride played a part; he probably didn't want to be the first of the two to leave, so he silently stood his ground like a fool.

Regardless of which person left first, anyone could see that a mountain of unspoken words separated them.

After checking off tasks she'd accomplished earlier, she looked up to find Nikki's hard exterior crumbling. Her friend's gaze lingered over the tabletop; her eyelids fluttered to prevent herself from breaking down in public.

The quiet overtaking the table became deafening.

Once Nikki spoke, her voice wavered with the most emotion Jen had ever heard from her. "I can't do this."

She leapt from her seat and hastened away.

"Nikki, wait!" Jen called as she stood up from her chair. After casting a death-daggered glare upon Jonesy—who responded with an expression caught between frustration and bewilderment—she and the other girls chased Nikki down. When they caught up to her, they found she lacked the strength to pretend anymore. Thus, she led them into the backroom of the Khaki Barn, where she finally demolished her walls and left herself exposed.

* * *

"Why am I this goddamn emotional over him?" Nikki asked, having a mini-meltdown on the backroom couch. Between her unrelenting tears and frustration about this _jerkass_ with an obvious wandering eye and a hidden golden heart, she felt compromised.

Caitlin offered both a tissue from her purse and an explanation. "Because you love him… and because you're a Pisces."

While ignoring Caitlin's penchant for astrology, Nikki pondered the first half of her statement. Caitlin said it in such a soft tone, yet it punched her in the sternum, winding her. The raging storm within her subsided while she held onto the tissue. As long as she loved him, she would be emotionally compromised to some degree. She wouldn't be able to hide behind stoicism and sarcasm forever, especially if her feelings for Jonesy ran this deep.

"God, I _hate_ him," she groaned as she buried her head in her palms, the soft fiber of the tissue brushing against her face. After a solemn, silent moment, she rested her clenched hands in her lap and looked at her friends. "And you know what the worst part is?" She released the tension in her hands, letting the tissue fall to the floor. "Even when I say I hate him, I never mean it. It'll never mean a thing. He means too damn much to me." She could never spew venom in his direction and mean every letter uttered. Her throat constricted and—_damn it all_—she felt like crying again.

"Aw, Nikki," Caitlin said, reaching out and caressing her hand.

"Caitlin, I'm _fine_," she said, with her voice choking up and tears sneaking out the corners of her eyes. "Shit. No, I'm not. I'm not. I'm really not." The tears fell rapidly. "I know it's only been a day, but I hate that we're not talking. We would've been texting back and forth last night, or he would've snuck into my room and spent the night with me, or… or…"

By now, her sobs and shuddering breaths stole her voice.

Her friends hushed her, comforting her with a group hug while she cried for catharsis.

It had been over a day since they exploded on one another, but it felt like an eon. She had grown so accustomed to receiving dumbass memes from him at random times that she felt their absence when she checked her phone last night. She wanted to hate them, but, since he sent some that appealed to both their senses of humor, she couldn't withhold her dumb chuckles. Whenever her phone buzzed last night, she secretly hoped it was him sending one as a white flag.

If not a meme, then she hoped it would be an actual apology. If sincere enough, she would have invited him over to talk things out and put the issues to bed. She felt the lack of him in her sheets. He kissed her in ways she'd never allowed others to kiss her, making her emit sounds she'd never made before. But not last night.

When they were on good terms and spent the night apart, she merely felt at peace and alone. Last night left her lonely.

She could have been pressing kisses over his lips, neck, and chest. Could have been pretending to watch the animes he made her watch with him "on the low-low." Could have been play-wrestling around her room until they fell into a compromising position and it blossomed into something intimate. Could have been uploading a picture on the Instagram account he convinced her to make, simply because he wanted to make stupid comments on her photos like, "Damn, gorgeous, you single?" Could have been creeping out of his bed and preparing to go home until he gently grabbed her hand and asked her to stay.

"It just…"—she gulped down the inability to speak—"It just _hurt_ the way we couldn't even look at each other earlier. The last time I couldn't look at him was during the whole 'bathroom incident,' but this… this is just a different kind of embarrassing. It's happening in front of all you guys and now you're being sucked into _our_ mess, and I feel like _shit_ that this is happening like this."

"Friendships and love are always gonna have some degree of mess to them. They're always gonna be entangled, especially in a group like this. Especially when you're dating someone you were already close to," Sydni offered.

Her eyes fell to the floor. "That's true."

"But I doubt the thing going on with you and Jonesy will get uglier. You've known him way longer than me and my ex ever knew each other. That's gotta count for something."

It pained her to speak her next words, but she needed to let them exist out loud instead of solely in her head: "I really don't know _what's_ gonna happen with us."

"Well, I have hope that you guys'll be able to work things out," Caitlin said. "You've been friends with him _forever_. Sure, things got super heated, but one argument shouldn't ruin what you two have, right?"

She gave Caitlin a look of uncertainty. "I don't know. I hope not."

"Well, no matter what happens, you should take time to just heal. Definitely do some self-care."

"Okay."

Her head throbbed as her sadness subsided and the occasional sniffle plagued her. Every second of this experience reminded her _why_ she tried to remain fine. She hated to be like this and, even more so, she hated to be _seen_ like this. Even though her friends looked at her with sympathy, she still read it as pity.

However, she redirected her upset towards the heart of the matter.

"You know, even though I miss him, I'm just mad as hell that he still thinks I'd leave him for another girl." Her brow furrowed, making her headache slightly worse. "It's like he's been lying to my face this whole time about being okay with my sexuality. And, on top of that, he's dodging the fact that his wandering eye is the issue. At least _I_ promised him that I wouldn't do what makes _him_ feel insecure. He _never_ made some sort of promise to stop looking at other girls." She crossed her arms. "I want to talk to him about everything and stuff, but only if he mans up and reaches out first."

"And I think that's _fair_," Jen said.

Caitlin and Sydni nodded in agreement.

Nikki gazed at her three friends. She didn't know what she'd do without them. Certainly, she would bring more cynicism to the already-bleak situation. Moments like this made her appreciate Caitlin's unrelenting optimism, Jen's gift of discernment, and Sydni's musings on love and heartbreak. Seeing that her emotions couldn't be controlled, Nikki's eyes watered when thinking of how much she cared about her girls.

"Ugh, I hate being like this, but I love you guys," she said, offering a genuine smile as she looked at everyone.

They all leaned in to hug her.

"We love you, too, Nikki," Caitlin said.

* * *

After grabbing a snack from the kitchen later that evening, Jen headed upstairs to find Jonesy walking out the bathroom and into the hallway. The ride home had been tense and quiet, but no longer would she bite her tongue. Even though Wyatt suggested that Jen should wait for the couple to discuss their issues themselves, nothing would get resolved if Jonesy remained obstinate in wanting to hear from _Nikki_ first while Nikki expected to hear from _him_ first.

Her brow furrowed as she jabbed her index finger into his chest. "You need to talk to Nikki and fix this, Jonesy."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—_I_ need to talk to _her_?! Don't I deserve an apology first?"

"No. What you _need_ to do is get your shit together."

His eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. She hardly cursed.

Before he could comment, she said, "I know you're feeling a certain way about Nikki being bi, but how many times does she have to tell you that she loves _you_?" She channeled her best friend's frustration. "You know you've never told her _once_ that you'd stop looking at other girls." She sighed to rid herself of lingering upset. "Jonesy, all she wants to do is to make up with you, but she's only willing if _you_ reach out to her first."

He appeared wounded. "I'm not sure _how_, especially 'cause everything's all up in the air right now. I feel like if I say something, it's gonna turn into another argument, and that's the last thing I want… We're just stuck in some sorta limbo right now. I thought it wouldn't be that bad if I came by the table earlier, but we didn't even talk. We didn't even _look_ at each other, sis."

"How do you think the rest of the gang feels?" She massaged her temples before proceeding. "I know you're not super aware of things that don't concern you, but we're _all_ caught up in this. We had to make a separate group chat _without_ you and Nikki because you can't man up and talk to her."

He opened his mouth, prepared to argue, but she cut him off once more.

"Listen, she's my best friend in the whole world and you're my brother, and you know how I used to feel about you two getting together, but I really love you both. And I _know_ you two love each other. So, please—for the love of God—just talk to her. And actually hear her out, Jonesy. I know you love to hear yourself talk, but this is serious." She frowned. "I've never seen her this hurt before."

Remorse overtook his features. "Really?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

She kept her voice soft, too. "Yeah."

"Aw, man," he murmured. He averted his eyes to the carpet. "I bet she hates me."

Her lips curled with knowingness. "Don't tell her I told you this, but…"

He leaned in. "I'm listening…"

"She told me earlier that you're one of the only people she'll never hate. You know why?"

He shook his head.

"It's because you mean the world to her, Jonesy."

"Wow… _Wow_," he said after meeting her stare.

The curl in her lips became a full-on grin. She had never seen him so speechless, nor had she ever witnessed so much life in his eyes.

"She means the world to me too, sis. She really does."

"_So_, what now?" she asked, hoping she swayed him to act right.

"_So_… I'm gonna try and figure something out."

"Good. That's all I'm asking for."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Survival

By the next day, a third version of the gang's group chat existed, featuring everyone but Nikki. Jonesy created it so he could get the group to meet him near the atrium fountain.

"…So, any reason _why_ we're here?" Wyatt asked him.

"I was gonna get to that, but, since you asked, I wanted to see if you guys were down to help me get Nikki back," Jonesy said.

"Aww, I'd love to help!" Caitlin said as she rapidly clapped her hands.

He knew Caitlin would be easy to sway. That girl was a sucker for happy endings.

Jude, Sydni, and Wyatt exchanged similar sentiments.

Meanwhile, Jen crossed her arms and said, "Glad you decided to take my advice."

He would have rolled his eyes and refuted that he did it on his own volition. However, he _did_ need her swift kick in the ass last night to launch him into action, so he decided to lead with honesty (for once). "Yeah, I'm glad, too. At this point, I'm willing to do anything to get my babe back."

Her lips curled into a soft and friendly grin. "Aww, Jonesy, that's so sweet. So, what do you have in mind?"

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, since Saturday's our anniversary, I wanted to do something real special at the house for her, but I want you guys to be there. I know she's not a chocolate-and-roses kind of chick, but I still wanna go all out for her. I'm talking candles and her favorite flowers and getting dressed up and all that. I wanna go the extra mile for her."

Caitlin swooned. "I know if a boy did that for me, I'd be _so_ ready to marry him."

He appeared devious, hoping to shock his friends as he reached inside his pocket. "It's funny you said that…"

When he showed everyone the ring he bought, they all did a double-take.

"_Whoa_," Jude and Wyatt chorused with eyes wide.

"Oh… my…. _God_," Caitlin said. If her jaw could hang any lower, it would hit the floor.

"Is this real?!" Sydni asked.

"It _better not_ be!" Jen yelled, sounding startled rather than excited.

_Ha! Too easy_, he thought. "_Relax_. It's not. I'm just messing with you guys. It's just a regular-degular-shmegular ring. I just wanted to get her something nice for our anniversary. I know she doesn't like flashy shit, so I got her this instead," he said as he held out the ring for them to inspect.

"OMG, you got her a _promise_ ring? Those things are _so_ romantic!" Caitlin exclaimed.

His cheeks flushed pink. "Didn't you hear me, princess? It's just a regular-degular ring… that I wanna give to her… on our anniversary… because I'm really into her."

She looked him square in the eyes and asserted, "It's _totally_ a promise ring."

"It's _not_," he said with his voice cracking. It hadn't fluctuated like that since puberty.

She giggled behind her hand. "Whatever you say."

"So," Jen began after breaking out her to-do list, "you said you need candles and flowers, right?"

"Yep," he said, letting go of his embarrassment over the not-promise promise ring.

"What kind?"

"I'm thinking violets. She loves those things." (He only remembered them because they were as purple as her.)

"Okay," she said as she typed it on her list. "Anything else?"

"Actually, yeah." Now that she reminded him, he said, "Hey, Wyatt, mind playing a few of Nik's favorite songs on Saturday?"

Wyatt replied with a thumbs-up. "I don't mind. Just text them to me."

"Will do, amigo."

"So, now that we've got that squared away, how are we gonna get Nikki over there?" Jen asked.

"I want it to be a big surprise, so tell her you wanna have another girls' night out or something, but invite her over the house first. Just _promise_ her that I won't be there."

"Got it."

"Oh, this is gonna be so nice!" Caitlin squealed. "I just hope everything goes well."

Jonesy sighed. "Me too, Cait. Me, too."

* * *

On Saturday afternoon, Jonesy helped Jen decorate the living room before the gang arrived. He couldn't afford many violets, so he only purchased a few. He didn't mind, though. His plan involved scattering their petals on the carpet anyways. After throwing them around the room, they placed battery-operated candles on various surfaces. (As much as he wanted real candles, their parents _and_ Jen vetoed the idea of him around open flames.)

Afterwards, both of them changed into formal wear, with Jen adorning a magenta dress and Jonesy wearing his best suit. He hadn't abandoned his visions of a luxe anniversary. He sought to commemorate the date with a (reasonably priced) gourmet cuisine, sparkling cider (since they couldn't legally drink champagne), and the presentation of the ring. However, even though this night wouldn't take place at a fancy restaurant,—like the Italian one Caitlin and Jen went to a few weeks ago—he'd still present Nikki with something awe-inspiring.

As the sun set, he slumped on the living room couch. His forearms rested against his thighs as he twiddled his thumbs, awaiting the arrival of his friends.

He seldom showed his nervous side. He never liked to be seen as anything less than composed. He preferred appearing sure of all his actions, even his lackluster efforts. However, when it came to the prospect of possibly losing his girl, he couldn't conceal his anxiety.

He didn't want to lose somebody who knew him so well. He felt foolish for detonating on her and walking away. He didn't realize until now that he risked twelve years of friendship. Their connection remained on the lifeline.

Though they had been sparring since their first encounter in kindergarten, they always resolved their issues. Tonight, however, felt ominous. After all, Nikki could only tolerate a certain amount of bullshit before deciding to leave. Nikki was many things, but a settler wasn't one of them.

If their relationship imploded tonight, he wouldn't find anyone to replace her. She was the greatest girl he ever encountered, yet he knew she could find someone better with the snap of her fingers. She could have an artist, a poet, an intellect, or a traveller—anyone but him. Only imbeciles would pass up on her.

_He_ held the title of imbecile for pushing her away.

"Jonesy."

Though he remained slumped over, he lifted his head and met Jen's eyes.

"Everything's gonna be okay."

"How do you know that?"

"Remember what I told you?"

"Yeah, but even if she doesn't hate me, that doesn't mean she won't leave me."

"But it doesn't mean she _will_ either. Just… trust me, Jonesy. Things'll be okay. Now cheer up. I'm not used seeing you mope around."

He chuckled without humor. "I'm not used to it myself."

* * *

After ringing the doorbell, Nikki stood at the Masterson-Garcia's front door, shifting in her black heels as muggy summer air blew past her. She glanced at the nighttime sky, noting remnants of orange as the sun faded from view.

Jen had called her yesterday about having another girls night out to lift her deadened spirit. While she appreciated the kind gesture, Nikki initially declined. After demolishing her walls with the girls the other day, she wanted time alone to rebuild. However, Jen _insisted_ on a night out being good for her, pestering her into submission. Thus, she ended up here in a shadow-grey _dress_ because Caitlin thought going out to dinner would be "super fun."

_I can't name a better way to spend my ruined anniversary._

Nikki groaned. She already didn't want to be here. If she had to wait a second longer, she might have some choice words for her best friend.

She would have tapped her foot against the concrete if she weren't wearing heels. As much as she wanted to wear tennis shoes, Caitlin wouldn't let her hear the end of it.

She placed her palms on her hips, growing grouchier by the second.

_Finally,_ Jen opened the front door.

"What took you so long?" Nikki snapped.

"Sorry, just last-minute prep. My bad," she explained while ushering Nikki inside.

Though her patience had wavered, Nikki realized that—whether she wanted it or not—Jen did this for her. Thus, she cooled down.

Having spotted Caitlin's cherry-red convertible in the driveway, she asked, "Are Bambi and Blondie here?"

"Yeah, they got here a while ago. We were waiting on you, actually."

"Oh." She gawked at the floor as she walked, ashamed of her impatience.

Though she initially looked down due to her embarrassment, she caught sight of flower petals on the floor and heard the soft strum of a guitar around the corner. It sounded like an acoustic rendition of… "Make Up" by DawgToy?

With curiosity, bewilderment, and Jen preceding her, Nikki set foot inside the living room. Her heart leaped at her findings. While she expected to see the girls, she hardly registered Wyatt and Jude's presence as one name fell from her lips.

"Jonesy," she murmured, running hot under his gaze.

"Hey," he said, walking towards her.

She couldn't do anything except stand in place. The violet petals, the artificial candlelight, Wyatt's acoustic pop, and Jonesy's smoky cologne and fitted suit stunned her. She experienced sensory overload, a rare phenomenon for her.

Her eyes darted all over the room before returning to his face. "You… You did all of this for me?"

He flashed her a boyish smile. "I mean, I had help, but yeah."

She remained suspended in disbelief. Her mind couldn't fathom reality. "Wow… This… This is really nice."

"Glad you think so." He took her hand in his, caressing the back of it with his thumb. His touch reminded her that this moment _existed_. "Listen, Nikki, I'm really sorry. I know I said some sideways shit, and I'm sorry about all of it. I wanna try and do better for you. I just hope, y'know, you can forgive me."

She pondered his request. He'd asked for her forgiveness many times before, but the incidents were smaller in scale. This time, however, their fallout upended her. It left her wounded and tending to emotions she loathed to acknowledge until they spilled out of her. Jonesy was the only guy she ever cried over. She didn't even bat an eyelash when she and Stone broke up, despite him leaving with her virginity. She merely blew a fuse and torched his shit in her backyard.

Despite the wonderful setting Jonesy and the gang prepared for her, she wouldn't let it distort her judgement.

She realized her answer would settle the uncertainty surrounding them. She could reject him altogether and sever the twelve-year-old ties between them. Despite the maelstrom of emotions he spurred within her, that option didn't sit well with her. Her heart ached with the thought of letting him go.

Their first breakup didn't bother her as much because they hadn't fallen in love. They hadn't gone too far. They hadn't descended into such a feeling.

She loved how he brightened her day with random compliments, ranging from "_you're gorgeous"_ to "_looking hot, babe"_ to "_you're the best_." Though his jokes were hit-and-miss, she laughed at his great ones until she snorted. When hidden behind closed doors, she didn't mind dancing around the room with him to their favorite songs. She enjoyed getting a rise out of him, whether through her teasing remarks or whip-blunt quips; she only said certain things to him because she knew he could handle them. She nurtured her inner child with him whenever they blew raspberries at each other, played footsies, or did other things reminiscent of their preadolescence. She appreciated that, on her bad days, he'd stop by the Khaki Barn and help her with her work without her asking; he'd even do it without complaint. Whenever she mentioned her monthly cycle, he would buy her chocolate and tampons.

If they broke up now, she would be sacrificing an unexpected connection.

Romantic love made her uncomfortable and unsure, but she didn't want to experience it with anyone else.

When she reached her conclusion, his eyes dropped to the floor and his hand let hers go. He placed it on his arm, likely rubbing his bruised ego.

"You don't forgive me, do you?" he asked in a deflated tone.

She cracked a smile. "I _do_ forgive you, Jones. I just had to think on it."

"Oh, thank _God_."

He sprung back to life, pulling her into an elated, ardent kiss and wrapping his arms around her. She welcomed his touch, having felt the lack of it. She heard the girls cheering in the background as the boys whooped for joy.

When they parted, Jonesy smiled at her. "Happy six months, babe."

Warmth spread across her chest upon hearing _babe_. "Same to you, Casanova. Same to you… Shit, I left my gift for you at home. I just didn't think I'd see you tonight, and I _definitely_ didn't think I'd see you like this."

"Hey, I'm just glad to know you got me something and didn't set it on fire."

"I mean, I thought about it, but I decided to leave it alone. Besides, I spent money on it, so…"

"That's my girl. Well, hopefully my gift knocks your socks off… and maybe more than that," he said, moving his eyebrows up and down.

She whacked him on the arm. "_You_ better knock it off."

"Okay, okay." He chuckled and reached into his jacket pocket. His gift stunned her.

_A ring_.

Her eyes flickered between the dainty silver band and his face. "Oh my God."

"Before you get the wrong idea, it's not an engagement ring or anything. It's just a promise— I mean, it's _not_ a promise—" He sighed. "Okay, it's a fucking promise ring."

"Called it!" Caitlin interjected.

He blew a raspberry at her before turning his attention to Nikki again. "So, where was I?"

"I believe you were gonna put it on my finger."

He chuckled. "Oh, right."

He proceeded to grab her left hand, prompting her to say, "If you put that on _this_ hand, you know our parents are gonna be pissed, right?"

"Shit, my bad."

He then grabbed her right hand, holding the ring between his index finger and thumb.

Her eyes flickered between his face, the ring, and her ring finger.

As tears welled in her eyes while he put the band on her, she realized this boy would always strip her stoic image back to its core. He'd always be able to cut straight to her heart. And, while the realization made her uncomfortable, she preferred it to not having him around.

* * *

While their friends frolicked in the backyard, their lips reacquainted themselves in the dark of the living room. Nikki rested atop Jonesy, who laid beneath her on the couch. Her grey dress hiked up her legs as she straddled him. Their moans and murmurings of sweet nothings flew free. It was a joyous, slow, and searing reunion.

"I missed you so much, babe," he murmured as she tenderly kissed and sucked along his neck.

She paused to look him in his half-lidded, starry eyes. She caressed his cheek, bringing a lopsided smile to his lips. "I missed you, too."

She leaned over and continued to kiss him, making up for the time that passed them by. As they reacquainted their bodies, her mind meandered. They hadn't discussed what caused their relationship to collapse in the first place. Despite the loving sentiments exchanged and the ring he gave and the kisses that drove her insane, none of that mattered if they didn't discuss how to repair their relationship. As of right now, they sat atop rubble and other remains.

However, _his_ interest remained in French kissing and rubbing her rear.

"We really need to talk," she said after withdrawing her lips and tongue.

"Hmm?" he asked, eyes half-lidded and voice groggy from their tryst.

She sat upright, snapping him from his delirium. "I know you like being over-the-top and touchy-feely and shit, but we still need to talk." He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. "And don't say, '_Just one more kiss and then we'll talk, babe,'_ because I know that trick."

"How do you know me so well?"

"Time."

"True."

Both of them positioned themselves across from each other, as she found it counterproductive to have a serious chat if they remained in a suggestive position.

"So," she started, "I guess I should get the main thing that's bothering me out the way: Is it really that big of an issue to you that I'm bi? Because, if it is, we need to find a resolution. Otherwise, I'm not sure there can _be_ an us, because I'm tired of arguing in circles about it. I shouldn't have to keep reassuring you that _you're_ the only one I want, Jonesy. If you can't feel it, then maybe we shouldn't be together."

His eyes went wide as he pleaded, "Babe, I wanna be with you. You mean the world to me. I just—I dunno—I get scared about whether you'll leave me for someone else, and—"

"_For the last time—"_

"Let me explain…" He sighed. His shoulders slumped. His eyes darted away from hers, focused on the couch's fabric instead of her face. "Listen, you're the only girl I've ever cared about like this. Not to say all the other chicks from before didn't matter or whatever, but whatever I got with you is different. I just connect with you on a different level and stuff." The wounded child within him revealed itself. "I just get scared because—y'know—my mom just up and left my dad. She left _us_, and I saw what that did to him, Nik. It left him devastated. I just don't wanna make someone my whole world and have them leave me."

Her eyebrows knit with concern. "Jonesy," she said in a softened tone, "I never knew you saw it that way, but I'd never do that to you. I care about you too much to just leave. The only way I'd leave you is if we're _both_ unhappy with where things are. But don't think for a second that my interest is somewhere else." She looked away and flushed. "You're the only one I want to be with, and I've never felt that way about anyone."

She felt his eyes return to her as he uttered, "Wow."

Her cheeks burned even more. A nervous laugh escaped. "You're making all these emotions pour out of me, you overgrown lug."

"You're doing the same to me, short-ass."

Less abashed now that he confessed the same, she met his gaze. "So… now that we've got that out of the way, there's something else I need to get off my chest."

He leaned in with intent.

"I have problems when you look at other girls. And it's not that you _can't_ look at them, but it's the _way_ you look at them. It's like you're undressing them with your eyes, and it just makes me feel… insignificant. You do it like I'm not _right there_, and it makes me wonder if… if I'm not enough for you."

"Shit, babe, you're more than enough. I can't… I just… Oh, man, I'm really sorry I made you think that. You're the only girl I've ever been with this long, and you're the only one I've ever been this serious about, but I guess… I guess it's just a bad habit that I carried over from being single. But I promise I'll work on it." He reached out and stroked her dress-clad thigh. His touch brought her comfort and reassurance. "I wanna do right by you, baby. I really do."

"I guess since you're trying to make a compromise, then I should, too. I guess I should work on being less of a bitch."

He retracted his hand, instead using it to scratch his head. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Did I mention that I'm really, really, _really_ sorry for almost calling you that? Because I'm _really_ sorry for that shit."

"It's whatever. I am one. So be it. But I don't want you to think of me as someone that only nags you. I just really care about you, and I want the best for you, that's all. Maybe I'm not always the best at expressing it."

"I mean, you're a pain in my ass,"—his lips lifted into a soft smile—"but I've always known that about you. And I wouldn't change that for anything."

Heat pooled in her cheeks. She glanced at the infinity ring on her right hand. "I really ended up with my best friend. How'd that happen?"

"I dunno, but I'm so glad it did."

They leaned into each other, lips meeting in a tender kiss as she placed her hand on his arm and he touched her thigh for support.

Once they parted, she said, "Okay, one last thing before I start making out with you."

"I'm all ears."

"Next time we fight like this, we've _got_ to figure out a better way to work things out so we don't get the gang involved. I hate that they had to help us with _our_ mess."

"Yeah, you're right. But, hey, we'll find something. We may have our fights, but we always find a way to make up."

"I suppose you're right." She scooted closer to him. "Now remind me what that feels like."

He purred at her before grabbing her by the waist and guiding her into his lap, where she straddled him. Her dress rose around her legs as they resumed kissing, making amorous noises as she slipped her tongue betwixt his lips.

Now that they mended their previously split ties, she could kiss him without unfinished business nagging at her conscience.

The two of them remained so enveloped in the moment that they didn't even hear someone's approaching footsteps until that someone spoke.

"Ugh, get a room," Diego said with a sneer aimed at the couple.

As the couple separated themselves and fixed their disheveled states, Jonesy retorted, "We _had_ one until you came along."

As his younger brother walked into the kitchen, he snarked, "Then get _another_ one. Me and Robbie wanna watch _Tai Chi Tiger_ down here."

Though he appeared frustrated as he glared in Diego's direction, Jonesy then looked impish as he turned his gaze to Nikki. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

She smirked. "Only if you're thinking of taking this to your room."

"Damn, babe—gorgeous _and_ smart. You've really got it all."

She snorted and played along. "So I've been told."

He proceeded to grin and scoop her into his arms, taking her by surprise as he carried her away.

"Jonesy!"

"Shh… I wanna hear you say my name like that later."

* * *

After Jonesy and Nikki returned downstairs and deliberately passed in front of his brothers in the living room,—much to their chagrin—they found their friends raiding the kitchen. The girls rummaged through the fridge and the guys searched the shelves. The island in the center of the room held their discoveries: boxes of cereal, microwavable breakfast sandwiches, half a loaf of bread, and jars of peanut butter and jelly.

"Damn, we really need groceries," Jonesy mumbled as he inspected their findings.

"No kidding," his girlfriend replied.

Their friends turned around at the sound of the couple.

"Look who finally made it back," Jen said with her hands on her hips. However, she didn't appear to be admonishing them. In fact, she wore a knowing smirk on her face.

"Back like we never left," he said.

"I dunno," Jude started, "you two were gone for a while."

Nikki walked towards the open fridge and shrugged before grabbing a bottle of water. As she twisted the top, she said, "We had a lot to talk about."

He glanced at her as she drank, then added, "Yeah. And now we need some grub. Like, some _real_ grub."

"You're telling us," Wyatt said before gesturing towards the countertop. "This is all we could find."

Jonesy's stomach growled. He rubbed it, trying to calm the beast. "Something tells me none of that is gonna cut it."

"If you guys want to stick around longer, how about we just order pizza?" Jen asked the group.

"I can't really do pizza right now. Cheese is really breaking me out," Caitlin said. "Besides, I've been craving orange chicken and fried rice."

"Oh, that would _really_ hit right now," Sydni replied.

"Two words: barbecue wings," Jude said.

Jonesy pointed at his best friend. "You're onto something, man."

Wyatt groaned. "I'll take anything _not_ from this house."

"What about you, Nikki?" Jen asked.

"Honestly? I'm Team Take-Out," she replied, wanting whatever Caitlin and Sydni sought to order. "What about you?"

Jen smiled. "I'm okay with orange chicken."

"I guess I'll get wings with the guys," Wyatt said.

"Well, I guess that settles it," Nikki said. "Thank God, because I was _not_ resorting to"—she picked up a breakfast sandwich in its plastic wrapping—"whatever this is."

"Hey, those things taste _good_ when you're on the go," Jonesy said, furrowing his brow.

"I certainly _bet_ they make you go," Sydni mumbled, causing Caitlin and Jude to laugh.

Nikki snickered.

Jonesy furrowed his brow at the snide remark and open laughter. "Less chit-chat and more ordering, people."

* * *

A while later, their food arrived. They outnumbered Jonesy's younger brothers and managed to kick them out of the living room so they could hang out and eat in there. Though the guys ordered wings and the girls ordered take-out, they all shared each other's food anyways. The girls enjoyed barbecue and honey-garlic wings alongside their shrimp-fried rice while the guys devoured the rice with their assortment of wings.

After Jonesy finished his food, he turned his attention away from the television and looked around the room. Jude had passed out in the eating chair. He had the biggest plate of everyone, so he got to claim the big armchair, reserved for those in the house who "feasted like champions," according to Jonesy.

"I guess he's spending the night," he said aloud.

"I can drive him home if you want," Wyatt offered.

"Nah, you don't have to do that. He can stay if he wants." (Especially since he helped with Jonesy's plan to win Nikki back.) "If you want, I can make room for you, too."

"No thanks. I've got to go home, but I'll take you up on that sometime, though. We've gotta catch up on _Rogue Samurai_ or something."

He grinned. "Yeah, definitely."

After leaving Wyatt with a fist bump, Jonesy approached Sydni and Caitlin, sitting with them on their side of the couch.

He scratched his head. "Hey, uh, I just wanted to thank you guys for helping me tonight." Heat rose in his cheeks. "It really means a lot to me."

"No problem," Sydni said. "That was really nice of you to give her that ring."

"Yeah, that promise ring was _so_ romantic," Caitlin said with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, yeah, you were right about it," he said, lightly hitting her on her shoulder.

She giggled. "I'm glad we got to help you guys make up."

_We definitely did a lot of __that_. "I am, too," he replied.

Flashes of their activities in his room entered his thoughts. If he weren't in the midst of company, he would've entertained such thoughts, but he didn't want to risk a sudden tent around his friends.

He envied how girls could think as wildly as they pleased without anyone knowing the contents of their thoughts. They could be thinking of _anything_ at _any_ moment. Curiosity flickered.

_I wonder if Nik's thinking about me right now_.

He glanced behind at her as she talked to Jen. She seemed calm and collected. He figured he'd never know.

_Girls won on that one_.

"Looking distracted, Jonesy," Sydni said, retrieving him from his thoughts.

"Huh?" he asked.

"You totally spaced out," Caitlin said.

He grinned sheepishly. "My bad. Got a girl on my mind."

"Looks like you're on her mind, too," Sydni said, pointing behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder again, finding Nikki approaching them.

"Hey, Casanova," she said as she came around, touching him on the shoulder as she stood by his side. "Mind walking me out?"

He rose to his feet. "I got you." He led her away from the living room in silence, thinking of what to say before she left him for the night. "Listen, I know tonight went _way_ different than what we wanted, but I had a really great time."

"I did, too." She paused, deliberating her words, too. "You know, nothing about our relationship screams _conventional_ anyways, so I guess it's fair we had an anniversary that was anything but." As they walked into the driveway, she added, "I like us different."

"I do, too." After they stopped and stood next to her car, he faced her and grabbed her hands. "So, pad thai, right?"

"Yep. Just you, me, and a shit ton of noodles."

He loved her dry sense of humor. "Sounds like a date."

"Perfect," she said as he leaned over, pressing an amorous kiss against her lips.

She returned it, leading to them briefly making out against the driver-side door.

"_Mmm_," she said after parting, "you always know how to show a girl a good time, Garcia."

He grinned. "Glad you think so."

She raised up slightly, pressing another kiss against his lips. "Okay, I gotta go. Love you."

"Love you too, Nikki."

A while after she departed, he received a text from her indicating that she'd made it home safely. He lived on Cloud Nine. He didn't understand how he lucked-up. He didn't comprehend how he got to keep her. But he thanked the universe that he did.

* * *

_**A/N**__: I hope you enjoyed the story! Stay tuned for the next story, which is called "After Careful Consideration." It centers around Wyatt, Jude, and Sydni as they think about their uncertain futures._

_Per usual, here's the soundtrack for "Nuclear Seasons":_

"hard rain" by Lykke Li (from _so sad so sexy_)  
"Somebody Else" by The 1975 (from _I Like It When You Sleep_) [Explicit]  
"Eventually" by Tame Impala (from _Currents_)  
"The Louvre" by Lorde (from _Melodrama_)  
"Yesterday" by Kitten (from _Like a Stranger – EP_)  
"Losing You" by Solange (from _True – EP_)  
"Outlines" by AlunaGeorge (from _Body Music_)  
"bad days" by Tove Lo (from _Blue Lips_)  
"Little Bit" by Lykke Li (from _Youth Novels_)  
"Winterheart" by Niki & The Dove (from _Instinct_)  
"Nuclear Seasons" by Charli XCX (from _True Romance_)


End file.
